Improvement in canal-locks



2 Sheets-Shet 1.

W. REED.

CANAL-LOCK. No.176,055. Patented April 11, 1876.

WlTNESSES, INVENTOR,

N4 PETERSp-PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. REED.

CANAL-LOCK. No. 176,055. Patented April 11, 1876.

(ll/(l/l/ WITNESSES, INVENTOR.

METERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D c

UNITED STATES PATENT Drrron WILLIAM REED, OF SEWIGKLY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANAL-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,055, dated April11, 1876; application filed February 29, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM REED, ofSewickly, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Looks for Canals and Streams;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in looks for canals and streamsand consists in the peculiar arrangement of mechanism for manipulatingthe gates through the medium of steam or water power; and also consistsin the manner of constructing the gates so that they may be buoyed orloaded at the will of the operator, in such manner that said gates maybe swung on their pivots with ease and facility.

To enable others skilled in the art with which my invention is mostnearly connected to construct and use the same, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of my specification,Figure 1 is atop view or plan of myimprovement in looks for canals andstreams. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of the gate. Fig. 4 is a transverse seetion of the gate. Fig. 5is a detached view of the mechanism used in connection with the gate.Fig. 6 is a detached View of a part of the driving-gear.

In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the masonry of the lock. Brepresents one of the gates, which is constructed of sheet metal, whichmay be of any desirable thickness, and furnished with chamber D, having,at 0, openings for the purpose of entrance to the chamber D, whichopenings are usually called manholes. The object of these openings isfor the purpose of admitting the operator into the chamber D, for thepurpose of painting the inner walls of the chamber D, to protect themfrom the action of the water and atmosphere, thereby avoidingoxidization of the iron. The gate B is provided with a hollow pintle orshaft, 0, which communicates with the chamber D, and is pivoted at f atitsupper and lower ends, and is connected to an air-pump or otherdevice, for supplying air to and exhausting air from the chamber D. Thepintle or shaft should be furnished with a valve for allowing water toflow into or out from the (Jlllilllbtl D, as may be desired. The chamberD should be provided with braces, as at a. The faces and r'hitenedge ofthe gate B are furnished with grooves, as indicated at g, for thereception of planking for furnishing a protection to the gate, andresisting the action of moving boats or other things against the gate.When the operator desires to buoy the gate he opens a valve in chamberD, and forces air through the hollow shaft or spindle 0 into chamber 1),which forces the water out of the chamber until the desired buoyancy ofthe gate is obtained.

The gate herein described may also be applied to dry docks, used inconnection with boats and ships for raising them out of the water; theapplication of which gates to dry docks will readily suggest itself tothe mind of the skillful mechanic.

To the top edge of the gate B is attached a rack, h, which gears into awheel, 1', on the upper end of the shaft j. The wheel t is furnishedwith a clutch, k, which couples with a clutch, l, on the upper end ofthe shaft j, the wheel 11 and its clutch It moving on the shaft. Theshaft j is provided with beveled wheels, which gear into otherbevel-gear on shafts, which may lead to gates above or below or on theopposite side of the lock or locks. The bevelwheel m is thedriving-wheel of the operating mechanism. The wheel 2' is raised orlowered, for the purpose of bringing it into or out of gear with therack h, by means of a spring, a, and trip 0. The operator, when hedesires to move the gate, presses on the end p of thetrip 0, which willraise the wheel 11 on shaft j, thereby coupling the clutch 7c of thewheel i with the clutch l of the revolving shat'tj, and wheel 41 willcause the rack h to move the gate, so as to open or close it, as may bedesired, and in accordance with the motion of the driving-wheel m, thetrip 0 is held down by the trigger q, placed under the projection r ofthe guide w, so that when the vertical projections s and t on the upperpart of the rack it come in contact with the trip 0 it will be movedslightlysidewise, so as to unship the trigger (1 from the projection r,and the spring a will then lower the wheel Z, so as to throw it out ofgear with the rack h, allowing the driving mechanism to continue itsmotion without injury to the gate or driving-gear.

The wieket-gatesl propose placing under the mud-sills of the look; butthey maybe arranged in the walls or gates of the looks, if desired,preference, however, being given to the former arrangement, as such anarrangement will clean the sills from any accumulation of matter thatmay gather aboutthem and the bottom of the gate.

Another arrangementof the driving mechanism than that herein describedmay be used; therefore I do not confine myself to this particulararrangement of mechanism for manipulating the gates, but to theprinciple of operation set foith.

Having thus described the nature, construction, and operation of myimprovement, what I claim as my invention is 1 A gate for looks, havingachamber for buoying or loading it by introducing air or water therein,and pivoted through the medium of a hollow pintle or shaft,substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A metallic gate for looks, having a chamber for buoying or loading itby introducing therein Water or air, provided with grooves for thereception of planking for facing it, substantially as herein described,and for the purpose set forth.

3. The rack h, wheel i, spring a, and trip 0, in combination with thegate B, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose setforth. i

WILLIAM REEo.

Witnesses:

A. O. JOHNSTON, JAMES J. JOHNSTON.

